(Yicai Global) April 24 -- The market size of China’s online intellectual property sector reached CNY636.5 billion (USD100.9 billion) last year, an increase of 27 percent compared to the year before, with paid-users contributing more than half of total revenue (CNY318.4 billion), says the country’s intellectual property authority.

Mobile games and social networks were contributors to the growth, with revenue rising 32 percent and 22 percent, respectively, to CNY235.5 billion and CNY17.5 billion, last year, states a report from the National Copyright Administration of China. Online news also expanded rapidly of 40 percent reaching CNY30.5 billion.

Live-streaming experienced accelerated growth last year with users increasing by 77.8 million last year to 422 million in total, contributing to an overall market size of CNY40 billion, second only to the gaming sector.

Users of short-video platforms doubled last year to 410 million, the report said, while associated revenues are expected hit CNY35 billion by 2020.

Despite the strong growth in the online IP sector, challenges related to falling traffic dividends still remain. Daily per capita mobile internet use increased by just 8.7 minutes annually last year, meaning it has reached close to peak levels. Operators are expected to focus on improving the quality of consumer experiences to drive future growth and stay competitive.